Angela is the Founder and Executive Director of Upcycle Arts. Angela is constantly creating, whether it’s baking, sewing costumes, stilt walking, or circus aerial. She is so excited to bring the world of creative reuse to Charlotte. She has a Bachelor of Science from Northeastern University and spent four years in the military at Fort Bragg, NC.

Rachel, originally from Greenville, SC, has proudly called Charlotte home for over 25 years. She's passionate about creativity, including sewing, drawing, painting, and recreating. Her shopping adventures, particularly for the perfect pair of Mary Janes (any color, stacked heel), fuel her inspiration as a graphic designer. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design from the Savannah College of Arts and Design (SCAD). Married with two budding artist daughters, creativity runs deep in her family.

Christine is the Planner and Forecasting Manager at Bella Tunno, bringing decades of merchandising and strategic planning expertise to the table. Her career includes roles in buying, planning, and store management at major retailers such as Guess Jeans, Sears, and Federated Department Stores. A proud Michigan State University graduate with a BA in Business, Christine combines corporate insight with a passion for purpose-driven retail, and she is now excited to channel her experience into supporting creative reuse in Charlotte.

Adrianne is a dedicated educator originally from Decatur, Georgia. She holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia and has taught 3rd through 5th grade in five different states. Adrianne currently serves with a nonprofit organization that provides free math tutoring to students in CMS.

In addition to her professional work, Adrianne is an avid crafter, with sewing as her current passion. She is married and the proud parent of three children and is now enjoying the experience of an empty nester.

Melissa came from an artistic family and developed an early love of the Arts. She earned a theatre degree and an MFA in directing, building a career as a theatre maker with over 100 productions to her credit. Since moving to NC, she has created numerous creative projects, including  “Tiny & Large: Big Friends,” a play commissioned by Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. She is currently developing a picture book, inspired by her dog Zoey, as well as a play about a young girl trying to find her voice in post depression, New York.

Emily Pearce is a children’s author and artist with a background in professional fundraising, primarily in prospect research. She is passionate about crafting and sustainability and loves to sew in her spare time.

Annika Wreder is the Operations & Finance Director at The Bulb. After working in corporate finance, she pivoted to the nonprofit world in pursuit of deeper impact. Annika holds degrees in Finance and Physics from the University of Florida and an MS in Business & Management from the Stockholm School of Economics. She’s passionate about using finance as a tool for mission-driven work, building intentional processes, and supporting creative, circular solutions to community needs. When she’s not spreadsheeting or strategizing, she’s usually hanging out with her partner and their Sheepadoodle sidekick, Appa.

Sarah, our Store Manager, is an avid sewist who has been practicing for as long as she can remember. Though she has dabbled in almost every craft, something about sewing keeps drawing her back in. From Upcycling old clothes to save money, to creating elaborate costumes from thrifted curtains, second-hand materials have always been an integral part of her work. She is always excited to share her sewing and crafting knowledge with anyone who will listen!

Damalis is a multidisciplinary artist whose primary mediums are color pencil and acrylic paint. She is a Hickory native who graduated from Appalachian State University with her BFA. Damalis’s work focuses on the imaginary and creating the emotion of being in a space or place. She connects her child-like wonder, spirituality, and her Puerto Rican heritage to her everyday experiences and moments that are significant to her.

Sorcha’s an art history nerd with a special interest in the decorative arts. Much of her childhood was spent at estate sales and antique malls, so she’s been sourcing objects of value and delight for as long as she can remember. In grad schol, she studied conflict transformation and the role of creative work in social change, historical memory, and alternative futures. She loves illustration and jewelry-making and although she hoards fabric and yarn, she has a love/hate relationship with sewing and crochet (she’s impatient).

Eva is an artist, creative, and a lover of strawberries. Her main focus is ceramics, but she’s a dabbler of all things arts and crafts-y at heart. Her favorite hobby is finding new hobbies - most recently cross stitch and learning to sew! When she’s not crafting (or, let’s be real, while she’s crafting too), you can probably find her reading, binging Vampire Diaries, or hanging out with her cats.

Brache [bruh-shay], born & raised in the Circle City (Indianapolis), is now making her way as a “creaducator” in the Queen City. Through her blog & zines, she hopes to inspire people of their civic duty: live, laugh, love, and document that experience on paper. 

Avi is a lifelong learner and a collector of crafts. Beginning with drawing and painting as a kid, they later picked up sewing, jewelry making, and fiber arts, among other art forms. They are passionate about upcycling reclaimed materials into beautiful and functioning items. They also love learning about craft history and new techniques.

You’ll likely find them planning a project, listening to a podcast, and trying to keep their cats from stealing their pattern pieces.